Strategy called creating ‘wave of fear’

Pace, with his NRA A rating, strongly opposes recall election

By Gayle perez
The Pueblo Chieftain

Published: August 22, 2013;Last modified: January 9, 2014 02:33PM

Putting aside his National Rifle Association A rating, Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace said Thursday he’s against the recall election not because of the gun-control issue, but because it’s not how government should work.

Sal Pace

“Regardless if you disagree with our senator 100 percent of the time, you should be against this recall,” Pace told a group of Sen. Angela Giron supporters at a rally at the Democratic headquarters.

Giron faces a recall election on Sept. 10.

“This is an abusive recall. There are no ethical issues, there are no moral issues, no legal issues and it’s going to cost us at least a half-million bucks in the county,” he said.

Pace, a former state representative, was given an A rating for his voting record on gun rights issues.

Gun rights supporters targeted Giron with the recall after she voted in favor of stricter gun control during the recent session.

Pace said guns are not the issue.

“What this is about and what we’re dealing with is a serious threat to good governance.”

He said the recall campaign is not based on ideals like gun rights or making government better but rather, he called it a “silly campaign.”

If the recall is successful, Pace said it will lead to ongoing disruptions in government as others attempt the same process.

“If every single time, at every single vote, people are threatening to recall you, it’s going to make it impossible for anyone to work together to get things done.”

He said threatening a recall is becoming a new strategy to create a “wave of fear.”

“So every time your party’s not in the majority, the new strategy is to threaten recall and cause gridlock, infighting and feuding through a wave of fear. What type of society would we have?”

He encouraged supporters to step up their efforts to inform voters about the recall election procedure so they can get out and vote to keep Giron in the Senate.